DAVAO CITY (July 21) — Sometimes, the person who needs help most is the one who says nothing.
A family member may quietly battle depression. A young person may be overwhelmed by anxiety. A grieving parent may struggle to move on after losing a loved one. A worker facing unemployment or debt may feel there is nowhere to turn.
And many, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said, suffer in silence—afraid of being judged, misunderstood or rejected.
In a pastoral letter on mental health awareness, the bishops urged the Church and communities to listen more closely to those who are hurting and to make sure that no one feels they have to face their struggles alone.
The bishops called for the establishment of parish-based counseling groups that can “listen and offer accompaniment” to people facing emotional and psychological difficulties.
The initiative is part of the Church’s response to what the bishops described as the “unseen burdens” carried by many Filipinos.
“Many among us carry unseen burdens,” the pastoral letter said, citing anxiety, depression, addiction, loneliness, grief and other mental health challenges.
But the bishops also pointed to the wider hardships that can affect a person’s emotional well-being—including poverty, unemployment, overwhelming debt, family conflict, migration and the loss of hope.
“Many suffer in silence, afraid of being judged, misunderstood, or rejected,” they said. “There are those who begin to believe their lives no longer matter.”
The pastoral letter was signed by CBCP president and Lipa Archbishop Gilbert Garcera.
A message to those who are hurting
The bishops offered a direct message to people who may be struggling with mental health concerns.
“As your bishops, we wish first of all to say to every person who is struggling: you are not alone. God loves you,” they said.
They recalled how Jesus responded to people who were suffering—not by turning away from them, but by drawing near, listening and restoring their dignity.
“Jesus never turned away those who suffered,” the bishops said. “He drew near to them, listened to them, touched them, restored their dignity, and brought them back into the community.”
“The Church is called to do the same today,” they added. “The Church loves you.”
The message is particularly important in communities where mental health concerns are sometimes misunderstood or dismissed as a lack of faith, weakness or something that should simply be prayed away.
The bishops’ call emphasizes that prayer and spiritual support can go hand in hand with compassionate listening, counseling and other forms of appropriate help.
A word of sorrow to grieving families
The bishops also expressed sorrow to families who have lost loved ones to suicide.
They acknowledged that some families may have felt excluded or shunned by the Church while grieving—a painful experience that can add to the burden of those left behind.
The bishops’ message seeks to remind grieving families that they, too, need compassion, understanding and accompaniment.
For communities, the call is simple but profound: listen before judging, reach out before someone feels completely alone, and make room for people who are hurting.
The proposed parish-based counseling groups could provide a starting point, allowing churches to become places where people can talk openly about their struggles and find someone willing to walk with them.
